the revolution was never televised

very sad to hear about gil scott heron's passing.  he was such a phenomenal, dynamic man.  a poet, an activist, a revolutionary, he will surely be missed.  if you are not familiar with him, you missed out.  but, its not too late.  go check out some of his work when you get a chance.  click the link below for more information at npr.

 jenna pearle*

http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/05/27/136731274/gil-scott-heron-poet-and-musician-has-died

a poem for thought-tupac shakur

this is the last post celebrating national poetry month.  the poet i chose to feature, as you can see, is a tad bit more modern.  the talented tupac amaru shakur.  many are unaware of his other gifts besides acting and rapping.  poetry was yet another passion of his.  here are two of my favorites from him:

the rose that grew from concrete

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature's law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping it's dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared.

liberty needs glasses

excuse me but lady liberty needs glasses
and so does mrs justice by her side
both the broads r blind as bats
stumbling thru the system
justice bumbed into mutulu and
trippin on geronimo pratt
but stepped right over oliver
and his crooked partner ronnie
justice stubbed her big toe on mandela
and liberty was misquoted by the indians
slavery was a learning phase
forgotten with out a verdict
while justice is on a rampage
4 endangered surviving black males
i mean really if anyone really valued life
and cared about the masses
theyd take em both 2 pen optical
and get 2 pair of glasses

besos jenna pearle*

a poem for thought-sonia sanchez



fellow virgo, sonia sanchez



I gather up,
each sound,
you left behind,
and stretch them,
on our bed.
each nite,
I breathe you,
and become high

a pic of vonetta mcgee to illustrate the poem

besos jenna pearle*

a poem for thought-langston hughes

if i had a choice of what time period i could go back and take part in, it would be a stiff competition between the rebellious sixties and the roaring twenties harlem renaissance era.  but for this post, lets go with the latter.  and if i had the choice of who i would want to hang out with during the harlem r., it would be zora neale hurston, madam c.j. walker and langston hughes.  langston was the cool cat of the times.  he made being black en vogue.  in fact, these talented trendsetters made harlem THE place to be.  i can see myself now, dressed to the nines in my flapper dress, cute hat, and fingerwaved bob, pontificating on race relations in america across the table from mr. hughes in his spiffy suit at a blues set.  later, we'd head over to one of those rent parties to dance and eat. 
ok... i got a little carried away with my dream sequence.  the point is langston hughes was one of our greatest and most respected poet/writers.  and he went to my alma mater.  #lincoln love  enjoy one of his most celebrated works "mother to son."

Mother to Son by Langston Hughes


Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

                                                                    besos jenna pearle*